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RACINE COUNTY, Wis. - The District 21 State Senate race between Jim Croft and Trevor Jung is going to be key in deciding which party will have control of the Wisconsin State Senate. It will also impact how much power the governor will have in passing legislation.
A key state race
What they're saying:
"Democrats are hoping to win a majority of the state Senate, and this district is part of their clearest pathway to doing that. Realistically, if they want to win the Senate, they need to win this race," John Johnson, a research fellow for the Marquette University Law School said.
This is the first time Jim Croft has run for political office and Trevor Jung currently serves as Racine’s Public Transportation Director.
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Jim Croft
Trevor Jung
"But it is amazing to me how much money gets spent in these state legislative races," Johnson said.
Croft has spent upwards of $2.6 million on his campaign and Jung has spent a little less than $2.3 million. This is according to campaign finance reports that run through Oct. 19.
The seat is currently held by Republican incumbent Van Wanggaard. He has held the seat since 2014.
State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R)
In 2018, Wanggaard ran against Democrat Lori Hawkins and the two candidates spent a combined $240,000.
Wanggaard announced his retirement from the State Senate in March, leaving the field wide open.
"Overwhelmingly, the number one most important issue in a race like this where there's no incumbent running is whether people vote for David Crowley or Tom Tiffany. And to be honest with you, the number one thing that I think affects if people are voting for David Crowley or Tom Tiffany is what they think about Donald Trump," Johnson said.
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District 21 has been moving toward Democrat. In 2024, the district was won by Kamala Harris with 49.6% of the vote.
If Democrats gain control of the State Senate or House, it will break a longstanding Republican hold on the legislature. They have controlled both since 2010.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ben Hanson and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from campaign finance reports and John Johnson from Marquette University.